Refrigerating apparatus



March 14, 1933. F' W, RABE 1,901,190

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 3, 1930 A Trap/yf V vPafex'lted v1.4,

UNITED STATEs rATsNr oei-*lcs y. ynnnnn'rcnw; BABE, QF. ST, mms; msm-.mw y

*apjucatibn mearebruary a, leso. seria; itt-425,425.,-v

This invention' relates generally .to refrigerat'ing apparatus, yand more'speclfically to an improved refrigerating apparatus adapted for use with solid carbon dioxide (002)01 other solidified gas,- as'the refrigerant thereof, the predominant object ofthe invention being to provide .a refrigeratingapparatus of the class described, which is soconstructed. i

and arranged thatthe temperature ofthe refrigerated compartment thereof may be y regulated and controlled s0 as to prevent the'-` extremely 10W temperatureof the refrigerant from reducingthe temperatureof. the refr1gkerated compartment tol an undesirable extent.

It is quite generally known that under atmospheric conditions the temperature of solid carbon dioxide is approximately 110 degrees .below zero, Fahrenheit, and while this refrigerant may be used in preserving some products, such, for instance, as'ice cream and fish, the tem erature thereof isentirely too low to be emp oyed with safety for refrigerating many other products, such as fruits and i i vegetables, certain kinds of meats, yeast, etc.,

Where accurate temperaturecontrol is de sirable. The purpose o f the present invention,

j therefore, is to provide an improved appaproximated. y

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec- .-tion through a refrigerating apparatus cony structed in accordance with my invention.

y yrig. i. 4o

ratus in the use v'of which the temperature of a refrigerated compartment cooled-by solid carbon dioxide, or other solidified gas, may be controlled, so that anyv desired temperature within a predetermined range may be ap- Fig. 2 is a cross-section online 2-2jof In thedrawing, wherein is shown for the' purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates a refrigerated housing of ordinary construction. The refrigerated housingA may be a part of ordinary refrigerator of common use,for it maybe a refrigerated railroad car, but, for

. the sakeV of clearness of disclosure of the invention, it will b'e considered that the drawing illustrates a refrigerated. railroad car,and

it-will be referred toas such. The walls of` the refrigerated car A are insulated in the' the ordinary doors l(notshown), through Arranged within the refrigerated compartmanner common to refrigerator-Walls; The

ing4andinto the interior of the housing 2.

' As will-be apparent on `inspection of `yusual manner, and said caris providedwith vwhich accessmay be gained tothe refrigeri Aated compartment Bof 'the car A. 5f

1 and `2 of the drawing, thel housing'has arranged-therein an inner receptacle 6, the bottom andside walls of which are spaced from the bottom and side wallsl of the housing 2 to providev a space 7, which surrounds'said.

inner vrece tacle on all sides -thereofexcept the top. t'the top of the housing 2 the to -wall of the inner receptacle is in Contact Wit the lowerA face of the top wall of'said 'housing 2, an aperture4 8, formedthrough said top I wall of the 'inner receptacle, being in coincidence with the opening yt formed through the top wall of the housing 2. 9 designates an inlet air conduit which communicates with the space 7 and extends -upwardlyfrom' the top wall of the housing2, saidd inlet air conduit. being bent so asgto presentv an open end 10 thereof in a direction toward the center of the refrigerated compartment B ofthe car A. v Approximately at a point where thel air inlet conduit 9 joins the space `'2' I ar-` I rangea valve or 'damper 11 of ordinary cons tructlon, by the operation of which the flow of'air through'the conduit '9 may be regulated..

Extended through the front wallof the l housing 2 at a point .adjacent to the lower edgethereof is an air discharge conduit 12,

said air discharge conduit being open at its l outer end, and at its inner end being arranged in communication with the space 7 within the housing2`. Disposed Within the space or air duct 7 preferably at the bottom of the housthe housing 2 at a point beneath the inner receptacle 6, as suggested by' dotted lines in 5 Fi'g. 2, and serves a function which will be hereinafterclearly described. V

Arranged to surround the entire housing 2, except for a portion of the top wall thereof, is a hollow element 14 which provides a gas chamber 15. The gas chamber 15 is arranged in communication with the interior of .the inner receptacle 6 ,by a relatively short duct 16 (Fig. 1), and 17 designates a gas discharge conductor which communicates withl the chamber 15 and is provided with an open outer end 18. As 4will presently appean herein, gas resulting from evaporation of the refrigerant located within the inner receptacle 6 passes through the `duct 16 into the chamber 15. This gas chamber is entirely closed except for thedischarge conductor 17, and as the gas has a higher specific gravity than ,air it will pass downwardly into and fill the entire chamber, and will become stagnant therein. When the chamber 15 has been filled with gas, additional gas, which passes through the duct 16 from the interior of the inner receptacle 6, will pass from said chamber through the discharge conductor 17. As in the case of some products this gas is harmless,- or in fact is beneficial to said products, the gas will be discharged directly into the refrigerated compartment in which said products are stored, as shown in Fig. 1. In the cases of other products, however, these gases may Ihave a deleterious effect on said products, and therefore in a refrigerator in which the latter products are to be stored, the conductor 17 will pass into a wall of the refrigerated compartment and the gases will be discharged beyond the refrigerated compartment.

vIn the use of a refrigerator constructed in accordance with this invention, the refrigerant R, which will be solid carbon dioxide (CO2) or some other solidified gas, will be disposed within the inner receptacle 6, as shown in Fig. 1, and' as a result thereof the walls -of said inner receptacle, which preferably are formed of sheet metal, will become very cold. As soon as the effect of the presence of the refrigerant R is felt within the refrigj erated compartment B, the air in said refrigerated compartment will be placed in circulation, with the result that air will pass into the o en end of the air inlet conduit 9 and' will ow downwardly into the space 7 within the housing 2, where said air will spread so that it moves along the bottom and four side walls of the inner receptacle. In like manner the fins 13 will become very cold due to their proximity .to the bottom wall of the inner receptacle 6. The air passing through the space 7 in the manner described above, and particularly while passing in contact with the fins 13, will be very much reduced in teniperature, and said air then passes through the air discharge conduit 12 and is discharged into the refrigerated compartment B, wherein it circulates and eventually rises in temperature and again passes through the space 7 within the housing 2. It is obvious that the valve or damper 11 may be adjusted to regulate the volume of air passing through the cooling space 7, hence the temperature of the refrigerated compartment B may be regulated as desired by adjusting said valve or damper 11.

The gas which is given off when solid carbon dioxide or most any other solidified gas is evaporated constitutes a very eficient insulator when maintained in a stagnant condition, and inasmuch as the housing 2 of my apparatus is substantially surrounded by this stagnant insulating gas in the chamber 15, the likelihood of the low temperature of the refrigerant being felt within the compartment B through temperature exchange through the walls-of the housing 2 is very greatly reduced.

While the space 7 within the refrigerant receptacle 1 of my improved structure is describedas not being present at the top `of said receptacle, it is obvious that said space may be extended to the top of the receptacle 1 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: Y

1. A refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerated compartment, a refrigerant receptacle, said refrigerant receptacle being provided with an air duct disposed so as to substantially surround a chamber located.

within the refrigerant receptacle which re' ceives a refrigerant that gives o ff gas when sublimation thereof takes place, an air inlet element leading to said airl duct, an air discharge element leading from said air duct and so arranged as to discharge air passing ceptacle which receives a refrigerant that gives off gas when sublimation thereof takes place, yfins arranged\within said air duct, an air inlet element leading to said air duct, an air discharge element leading from said air duct and so arranged as to discharge air passing therethrough into said refrigerated compartment, a gas chamber arranged to. substantially surround saidrefrigerant receptacle and having an outlet opening, and a discharge duct leading to said gas cham er from the interior of said refrigerant chamber. 3. A refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerated compartment, a refrigerant receptacle, said refrigerant receptacle comprising an outer housing and an inner container for a refrigerant which gives off gas when sublimation thereof takes place, the bottom and side walls of said inner container being spaced from the bottom and side walls of said 4outer housing to provide an air duct which substantially surrounds said inner refrigerant container, air inlet means leading to said air duct, air discharge means leading from said air duct,said air discharge means being so arranged as to discharge air passing therethrough into said refrigerated compartment, a gas chamber arranged to substantially surround said refrigerant receptacle and having an outlet opening, and a gas discharge duct leading to said gas chamber from the interior of said refrigerant chamber.

4. A refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerated compartment, a refrigerant receptacle, said refrigerant receptacle comprising an outer housing and an inner container for a refrigerant which gives off gas when sublimation thereof takes place, the bottom opening, and a duct leading froml the interior of said refrigerant receptacle to said gas chamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aiiix m si ature.

`- F E ERICK W. BABE.

3 and side walls of said inner container being spaced from the bottom and side walls of said outer housing to provide an air duct which substantially surrounds saidinner refrigerant container, air inlet means leading to said air duct, means for regulating the passage of air through said air inlet means and into said air duct, and air discharge means leading from said air duct, said air discharge means being so arranged as to discharge air passing therethrough into said refrigerated compartment, a gas chamber arranged to substantially surround said refrigerant receptacle and having an outlet opening, and a gas discharge duct leading to said gas-chamber from the interior of said refrigerant chamber.

5. A refrigerating apparatus 'including a refrigerated compartment, a refrigerant receptacle, said refrigerant receptacle comprising an outer housing and an inner refrigerant container the bottom and side walls of which are spaced from the bottom and side walls of said outer housing to provide an air duct which substantially surrounds said inner refrig'erant container, fins arranged within said air duct, air linlet means leading to said air duct, means for regulating the passage of air through said air inlet means and into said air duct, air discharge means leading from said 50 air duet, said air discharge means being so arranged as-to discharge air passing therethrough into said refrigerated compartment, a gas chamber arranged to substantially surround said refrigerant receptacle, said gas chamber being provided with a gas discharge 

